After an hour of walk, they reached to Tafadzwa’s house. The broken door was as it was. Both could smell the dog’s scent and its fur was scattered around the living room. Roderick looked around the house, looking for any person lurking to shoot him.

“Everyone must have gone to search us.” Roderick said, “Maybe they took Barry with them too.”

Waylon stared at him, telling him to shut up.

“What?”

Waylon pushed Roderick and fired towards top of stairs. The goon rolled down from stairs. Roderick also held his rifle, then pressed the trigger. He too ended up killing one man, but his kill was ugly. Neither it neither fell down the stairway nor was his shot clean. Roderick’s bullet had exploded his head.

The house became calm.

“These men must be here to look after Barry.” Waylon said.

They started to search for the basement as they thought it was the only inhospitable place in the entire house. Roderick tapped on floor, seeking for the hollow spot.

“Waylon.” Roderick said.

“Yes.”

“Dogs can hear well too.”

How could I forget silencer? Waylon lost his concentration. He kept stomping around. But he had an interest in a particular spot. Waylon even tapped it by the butt of his gun. Roderick heard hollowness from underneath.

“Count on me for this.” Roderick said, punching a hole in the floor.

Waylon pushed Roderick aside and peeked from the gap. Barry, mouth tied, was gazing up at them. Waylon made the enterable space by himself alone, then hopped inside.

When Roderick landed, Waylon was cutting the ropes tying Barry to his chair. Roderick saw another captured person inside the room. He was unable to overlook him like Waylon did.

Roderick removed cloth from his mouth.

“Help me.” The man cried, “Untie me as well. I am also a cryptographer.”

Waylon stopped cutting after hearing a dog barking near Tafadzwa’s house. Barry had been untied completely.

“Waylon, loosen him too.” Roderick said.

“No time. Tafadzwa is coming.” Waylon said, pushing Barry upwards.

“But you can’t leave him here like this. Tafadzwa may kill him.”

“Come up right now or he will do the same with you.”

“PLEASE.” The cryptographer pleaded.

“Give me the knife.” Roderick stretched his arm, “I will untie him.”

Waylon caught Roderick’s arm and pulled him outside. Barking of the dog became louder. Roderick also understood Waylon was right. He ran out of the room with them, leaving the begging cryptographer behind.

The trio ran to their jeep. The same monkey who had stolen his key was trying to start the jeep. The red spot on its back was unmistakable. Waylon’s heart came to his mouth when he realized he had left the key in its slot. The monkey recognized Roderick in a second, but Roderick was well prepared for such a condition. He shot the monkey to death before it could run away with the key.

Three of them jumped inside the jeep and drove away.